


Off The Record

by beautiful_trouble



Category: Take That (Band)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-17 10:33:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29965041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beautiful_trouble/pseuds/beautiful_trouble
Summary: After ten years away, a surprise reunion soon threatens to tear everything apart once again and when more than just old memories start to rise to the surface, a combination of secrets, lies, and betrayals puts old friendships and new relationships to the test.
Relationships: Jason Orange/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	Off The Record

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I don’t know if anyone will read my first attempt at a Take That fanfiction, but if you do decide to give this a try, thank you. I’m really nervous to share this story for two reasons. I originally had an idea for this story almost 14 years ago (I started thinking about writing fanfic after seeing the band on their Beautiful World tour back in 2007) which is a terrifying thought in itself as to how much time has since passed. However, in the years since, every so often the idea would randomly pop back into my head and I’d add in little bits and pieces, but I never properly wrote it down. Then, when lockdown arrived last year and I no longer had a job, I thought it might be a good way to fill my time by writing the story down so that I could get it out of my head and it could, finally, leave me alone.
> 
> The other reason I’m anxious about sharing this story is because it is based on real people and I have tried to be respectful of this fact. However, it is fanfiction. I own nothing and I make no money from this. It’s just a weird moment of escapism that helped me make it through the past year. I hope you enjoy the story also. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thank you!

**Chapter 1**

_“What's on my mind? So many questions, though the answers I can guess…”_

_– Meaning Of Love_

* * *

**17 November 2005**

“Did you _see_ the photographs though?”

“The years have been kind to them.”

“I know, right?” Lara agreed as she reached for a plate. “I mean, I had a slight crush on Gary back in the day but –”

_“Slight?”_

“Shut up, Katie! But seriously, he could relight my fire any day.”

“Urgh,” Anna groaned. “Do we need to remind you that you are now a married woman, Lara?”

“Like you weren’t thinking the same about Howard,” she fired back with a grin.

Gemma stood in the kitchen and laughed as she listened to her friends’ conversation carry through from the front room as they chatted animatedly about Take That and – not for the first time since they’d arrived tonight – she was glad they had finally been able to arrange a long-awaited girls’ night in.

The four of them had tried to organise a night together for a while but between different work and family commitments this was the first evening they had all been free. Their original plans had involved dinner in town before they headed onto a club for some drinks but when Lara, Gemma’s best friend, had discovered a new documentary about the band was due to air on the same night, their plans had quickly changed and Gemma – being the only singleton left in the group – had been appointed host for the evening.

Not that she minded, really. She and Lara had been best friends for fifteen years, while they’d been friends with Katie and Anna for over five years. They all had a lot in common but the one thing that had cemented their friendship had been the discovery of their shared love for Take That during their work’s Christmas night out a few years ago. The four of them, alongside a handful of other colleagues, had gone to a bar after their meal when they heard that the establishment’s karaoke open mic session was due to begin. For a joke, or perhaps because she was already slightly worse for wear, Lara had signed herself up. When it was her turn to perform, the others realized she’d picked Take That’s ‘Pray’. They’d cheered from the sidelines and even joined in with the dance routine on the chorus, but it was only when Lara had finished her somewhat questionable rendition of the song that the four of them had sat down with a fresh round of drinks and quickly realised that they had all been fans of the band back in the day. They had spent the rest of the night, and the early morning, talking about the band, revealing who their favourite member was and why, and sharing various stories from the tour dates they had been to.

They were also the only people in Gemma’s life – outside of her immediate family – who knew just what the band had meant to her all those years ago.

With a sigh, she closed her eyes and tried to push those thoughts aside and focus back on this evening. It was only natural and right that her friends had wanted to watch the documentary together, but they’d also been wary of upsetting her. Gemma had initially waved away their concern but if she was honest, as time went on, she felt nervous and wondered what the documentary would reveal – and how she would react to seeing the guys again.

Suddenly, a very similar, off-key singalong of Pray could be heard coming from the front room and Gemma shook her head in amusement. She turned back to the task in hand and carefully grabbed the four glasses of wine she had poured before she headed out to join her friends. Katie and Anna sat on one couch and they took a glass from her. She then moved to the other couch and sat down before she exchanged one of the remaining glasses for a plate of Chinese food from Lara.

She’d just settled back against the cushions when her friend spoke.

“So, is Sarah joining us this evening?”

Gemma nodded. The four of them had been friends with Sarah for around eighteen months. They’d first met when Sarah had joined their marketing team and then they met again outside of work at a spin class and ever since, she’d been a part of their group. But while they were friends, Sarah hadn’t yet reached the closeness that Gemma and the others had, so there were still things about her they didn’t know – and vice versa.

Gemma swallowed a mouthful of food and reached for her drink.

“Yeah,” she finally said. “She’s supposed to be – although she did say she might be late.”

“Why?” Katie asked.

“She had to go and see someone first, but she’ll be here to watch the documentary.”

“Is it her mystery man again?” questioned Anna. She took a quick drink and then continued, “I mean, we’ve heard Sarah talk about ‘this really great guy’ she’s dating – but we don’t know anything about him. Does anyone even know his name?”

Lara and Katie shook their head before they looked to Gemma. She shrugged in response.

“Maybe he’s famous?” Anna suggested with a laugh.

“Or there isn’t a guy at all and she’s just trying to avoid us?” Lara smirked.

Katie nodded in agreement. “Yeah!” She then pointed directly at Gemma. “Maybe she knows about your encounter with Take That and now she hates you.”

“Shut up, Katie,” Lara answered, but there was no malice to their words.

“Ha _ha,_ ” Gemma drawled with a roll of her eyes, “but for the record, Sarah knows absolutely nothing about my _encounter,_ as you so kindly put it, Katie – and that’s how I’d like to keep it for now.”

All previous teasing between the women vanished at Gemma’s request and she looked to each of her friends. She trusted them with her life; they’d been there for her when she had needed them the most, and she knew they would continue to support her. They wouldn’t say a word.

Lara reached over and placed a hand on her arm.

“It’ll be fine, Gem,” she said quietly.

Gemma nodded but wasn’t sure it was overly convincing. She needed to change the subject and as she picked up another forkful of food, she decided to put an end to the previous conversation.

“There’s definitely a guy,” she offered. “I heard her talking to someone on the phone in work yesterday – Joe or Jay or something – but that’s all I know.”

Anna smiled. “It’s fine. We can always get Katie to ask her – she’ll have to tell us the truth eventually.”

Katie nodded enthusiastically at the idea and Gemma laughed. “Whatever you say.”

Lara suddenly checked her watch and with a small cheer, said, “Less than an hour to go, ladies!”

The others shared in her excitement while Gemma released a long breath. She had caught a teaser for the documentary a couple of days previously and knew all five members would appear, but that was all she knew about the programme as she had resisted the urge to try and find out more.

It had been almost ten years since the original Take That days and while she had tried to forget about many of her memories over the years, some had remained. She hadn’t heard much about the band after the split: she had no idea as to the kind of men they were today; she didn’t know if the group would speak fondly of their time in the industry or not, and even though she was nervous, she also realised that she needed to know what – if anything – had changed over the past decade.

She glanced at her own watch and sighed.

She didn’t have much longer to wait to find out.


End file.
